FOWLER STREET​Historically known as, “the Bottoms,” the Fowler Street neighborhood is bounded by Clark Street to the north, Emory Street to the east, Washington Street to the south, and Carroll Street to the west. Attempts at revitalizing this area have resulted in the rehabilitation of several properties on Fowler and Thelma Streets for affordable housing.

Revitalization efforts were aimed at the rehabilitation of small cottages and shotgun style homes, development of sidewalk infrastructure, pedestrian-scale street lights and picket fences. A small park was originally planned for the intersection of Washington Street and Fowler Street, but has since been put on hold due to a lack of funding. Many of the homes in this neighborhood, including the rehabilitated properties, have outdated floor plans, lack closet space and are energy inefficient.

While it was hoped that the revitalization work on Thelma and Fowlers streets would serve to stabilize the area, the homes along Alexander, West, Webster and Carroll Streets remain in varying states of disrepair. Vacant structures within the neighborhood have been boarded and secured at the direction of the city’s code enforcement.

The Fowler Street neighborhood’s contiguousness to the downtown and historic district make it an essential part of downtown development. The non-profit Fowler Street Redevelopment Corporation and the Newton County Ministers Union would like to direct future revitalization of the area toward providing affordable housing opportunities for senior citizens living within the community.